Cigar-lighter



C. F. CUNO.

CIGAR LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 6, 1920.

1,378,013. Patented May 17,1921.

In ven tor:

diam/es I. Curzo FFlE.

CHARLES E. CUNO, OF MERIDEN, GQNNECTIGUT.

CIGAR-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pate ted May it, 1921.

Application filed November 6, 1920. Serial No. 422,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. CUNo, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Cigar-Lighter, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switch mechanism for that type of device known as an automatic cord winder, in which the cord is an electric cable through which it is desired to pass a current for lighting or other purposes, the said switch operating to open and closesaid circuit automatically.

The construction set forth herein is primarily an improvement upon the device as set forth in my former Patent, No. 1,355,943, of October 19, 1920.

I have shown my invention in a preferred form and as applied to a cigar lighter, although it is' obvious its use need not be confined thereto.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view, partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a front view, the front plate being removed;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view representing the parts conventionally and somewhat displaced for convenience of illustration; and V Fig. 4 is a detail View relatively enlarged and in section of a portion of the spiral cam, and the end of the switch operating arm.

1 represents a casing, which constitutes a housing for the operating parts. 2 is a front plate therefor. Mounted to rotate within the housing is a drum upon which an electric cable is wound.v This drum ,comprises an insulating hub 3 carrying two disks or flanges 4, 5, which are msulated from eachother. Electrically connected with the said two flanges are the two wires 1 9, 10, carried by the housing 1.

66" of the cable. This cable is-connected with any suitable current consuming device 7, which in this instance conventionally represents a cigar lighter. When idle the device 7 lies close to the housing 1 and is held in that position bythe cable.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the varlous parts in the idle position in which the current 1s ofi, whereas, in Fig. 3 I have shown the cable as extended and the current on.

8 represents a battery or generator which is electrically connected with two terminals The terminal 9 is insulated therefrom, whereas the terminal 10 is grounded thereon. The disk 5 is always in electrical connection with the terminal 10, either through its contact with the side wall of the housing, or, if desired, through the medium of brush. 11 carried by the housing and rubbing on the periphery of the disk 5, so as to keep the surfaces bright and electrically eflicient. -The other terminal 9 is electrically connected with a circuit closer 12. This closer, preferably in the form of a contact blade, bears preferably upon the periphery of the disk 4 when the current is on, as shown in Fig. 3. When, however, this blade 12 is lifted from contact with said disk the circuit will be broken. The blade 12 may be of spring metal and so constructed as to normally move ina direction to contact with the flange 4 and close the circuit. 14 represents a swinging arm pivotally mounted at'15 on the insulating block 16, through which the terminal 9 passes. This arm 14 is preferably insulated from all other parts at all times, and the free end of the said am is provided with a nose portion 14 (see Fig. 4), which engages a spiral cam in the form of a spiral groove or thread on the outer surface of the flange 4. Obviously, as the drum revolves the arm 14 will be moved to and fro. When the cable on the drum has been wound up to a certain predetermined point, the arm 14 will have moved outwardly far enough to dislodge the circuit closer 12 from the disk 4 and break the circuit. That part of the blade 12 engaged by the arm 14 is preferably provided with an offset shoulder 17, which stands in the path of movement of the arm 14. This shoulder is preferably made of insulating material, which may be riveted or otherwise secured to the blade 12. p

When it is desired to use the apparatus the operator grasps the device 7 and pulls it out, thereby revolving the drum. As the drum revolves the arm 14 moves slowly to-' ward the axis of the drum, thereby allowing the circuit closer 12 to move toward the drum. When the cable 6 has been pulled out sufficiently far, say six or eight inches,

the circuit closer 12 will engage the flange.

'When the operator 4 and close the circuit. is through with the apparatus he'may release the device 7, whereupon the cable will be rewound by the drum and the arm 14 will move outwardly and will unseat the circuit closer 12 from the flange 4, thereby breaking the circuit. This occurs preferably before the cable. is fully rewound so that, if, by accident, the device 7 does not fully s'eat in its home position, as shown in Fig. 1, the circuit will nevertheless be opened so that battery current will not be wasted.

It will, of course. be understood that in the preferred form the drum is self-winding through the medium of a spring 18 associated with the disk and shown in section in Fig. 2. For this re-wind feature alone no closer adapted to open and close an electric circuit, means coacting with said spiral cam and adapted to be moved by said cam and also coacting with said circuit closer to control the latter for the purpose of opening and closing the circuit depending upon the positionot said means relatively to said cam.

2. An automatic switch for opening and closing a circuit, a current carrying rotatable member, a circuit closer coacting with said member to make and break a circuit theret-hrough, a spiral cam at the side of said member and rotated thereby, a device coacting With 'said cam and moved thereby as said member'is rotated, said device also coacting with said circuit closer to move the same to open and closethe circuit according to the position of said device on said cam.

CHARLES F. CUNO. 

